Serum Institute of India to make up to 100,000 investigational Oxford Rift Valley fever vaccine doses

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With support from the epidemic preparedness organisation Norway-based Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Serum Institute of India (SII), part of Cyrus Poonawalla group, the world's largest vaccine manufacturer, has entered into a licensing arrangement with the University of Oxford to create the largest-ever reserve of an investigational Rift Valley fever vaccine ready for testing. The collaboration comes amid a deadly outbreak of the mosquito-borne disease in Senegal and Mauritania. 

Under the agreement SII will manufacture up to 100,000 doses of the University of Oxford’s investigational vaccine candidate, ChAdOx1 RVF. An initial 10,000 doses are planned to be used in a potential upcoming clinical trial assessing the safety and immunogenicity of the vaccine candidate in outbreak-affected areas. The remaining doses will be stored as an investigational reserve available for clinical testing to generate further evidence in  future outbreaks.  

In a major milestone for rapid vaccine production, SII has already filled and labelled 12,000 vials of the ChAdOx1 RVF vaccine just 16 days after receiving the essential ingredients.

ChAdOx1 RVF is among the most advanced vaccine candidates being developed to protect people against Rift Valley fever. Findings from a new vaccine trial could add to clinical research already taking place on ChAdOx1 RVF in Kenya and bring the world closer to the first licensed human Rift Valley fever vaccine.

Rift Valley fever mainly affects livestock, however people have fallen ill in Africa and the Middle East after coming into contact with infected animals or being bitten by infected mosquitoes.